Though the number of San Diego breweries that send their beers off to be judged in international brewing competitions pales greatly to the widespread representation of local beers in stateside contests, the county’s ales and lagers still find their way onto winners lists the world over. Take, for instance, the European Beer Star Awards, a prestigious professional brewing competition that’s taken place since 2004 and has grown to award gold, silver and bronze medals in 73 categories. This year, 25 medals went to American brewing interests, with four of them bearing the names of San Diego County beers.
The lone gold-medal quaff was in the Stout category by Sinister Path, a foreign-style export stout from Eppig Brewing. This is the second time the Vista-based operation has struck gold at this competition. In 2020, the company’s flagship West Coast IPA, 10:45 to Denver, took top honors in the New Style India Pale Ale category. Additionally, Eppig’s fruited Berliner-style weisse, Glitz & Glam, took a silver in 2019.
“Winning a medal at the European Beer Star not only ensures prestige in the international brewing industry, it also serves as confirmation of the tremendous work that our brewery team does every day,” says Eppig Principal Brewer Nate Stephens.
A trio of local beers merited bronze medals: Athletic Lite from Miramar’s Athletic Brewing in the Non-alcoholic Lager category, Surf Punk from Serra Mesa’s Hodad’s Brewing in International-style Lager, and Viva la Beaver from Oceanside-based Belching Beaver Brewery in Flavoured or Pastry Stout.
Viva la Beaver has done well internationally, having earned gold at last year’s International Beer Competition in Japan, as well as the 2021 and 2022 editions of the Australian International Beer Awards. The Mexican hot chocolate stout was also crowned Best Specialty Flavoured Beer and Champion International Beer in this year’s edition of that Aussie competition.
The aforementioned quartet of medals represents the best overall showing by San Diego breweries at the European Beer Star awards in a single year.
More than 2,000 beers from all over the world were submitted for consideration in this year’s competition. All of the winners can be viewed here.
The following is a summary of this year’s local winners…
Gold Medals
- Stout: Sinister Path Foreign Export Stout, Eppig Brewing (Vista)
Bronze Medals
- Flavoured or Pastry Stout: Viva la Beaver Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout, Belching Beaver Brewery (Oceanside)
- International-style Lager: Surf Punk Mexican-style Lager, Hodad’s Brewing (Serra Mesa)
- Non-alcoholic Lager: Athletic Lite, Athletic Brewing (Miramar)